


From me to you

by greenet



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 01:52:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenet/pseuds/greenet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ivan gets a surprising birthday present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From me to you

**Author's Note:**

> It's amazing how creative I get when avoiding writing my thesis...

Two days before his thirty-seventh birthday, Ivan makes the mistake of opening the door without checking who it is. He immidiately tries to close it again, but to no avail. He sighs. "What are you doing here, By?"

Byerly looks surprised. Even more flamboyantly dressed than usual, and surprised, and Ivan is still distracted by his eyes. (He's refusing to admit this to anybody, including himself.) "Your wife invited me?"

"She did not," Ivan says automatically, then hesitates. "Did she?"

Byerly gives him a funny little grin. "Oh yes. I asked her to confirm it in writing. It... seemed prudent."

Ivan squints at him, then huffs and gestures for him to enter. "Tej!" he yells. "Did you really invite the second bane of my existence to celebrate my birthday?" By frowns. "You know Miles is much worse," Ivan says. "No offense intended at all."

By considers it, then shrugs, giving Ivan that. "Actually, as I understood it--" he hesitates. "Perhaps Tej should explain."

Ivan frowns at him in deep suspicion.

Tej comes wandering, holding a datapad. To Ivan's annoyance she lights up upon seeing Byerly. "By! You got here early!"

"Rish says she's sorry she couldn't make it, but she hopes we'll have fun," Byerly recites in one breath, and smiles. "And possibly film it."

Tej beams back. "Oh I'm sure that can be arranged!"

"What, exactly, is going on here?" Ivan asks. He regrets asking as soon as he has, but this is frequently what happens whenever Byerly is close by. Apparently two years had been enough to make him forget and lower his guard a little. Surely, two years ago he would've just thrown Byerly out? Right? (At the back of his head a voice is telling him that in fact he never could resist any of By's mad schemes, even when he really tried. Damn his Vor honour!) (Damn By's eyes too.)

Tej takes his arm and beams up at him. "Byerly is your birthday present, of course!"

"...What."

Byerly beams as well. He divests himself of his coat, and stretches. Ivan helplessly follows the play of muscle under the skin-tight jumpsuit. Tej watches him watch By and smiles happily. "Oh this will be _fun_ ," By says.

"What?" Ivan repeats.


End file.
